Youth PQA Plus Training

Youth Pork Quality Assurance (PQA) Plus is the food safety, antibiotic use, and animal well-being awareness and education program for youth pork producers ages 8-19. A Youth PQA Plus training is being offered on Tuesday, June 2, 2015 from 6-7 p.m. at Grange Hall on the Armada Fairgrounds. Please note that exhibitors showing swine at the Armada Fair may be PQA certified. This certification is not mandatory to show at the fair; it is optional. To register for this free training, call 586-469-6431 or email macomb.4h@macombgov.org by Friday, May 29, 2015.

Armada Fair Updates

• 2015 Theme "Oh the Thinks You Can Think When You Think of 4-H"
• Looking for superintendents for Photography, all livestock areas except Swine, all horses except Mini-Horse, and Exhibit Barn
• Fair clean up dates are May 31, 2015 and July 26th, 2015 10 a.m.-Noon. Please bring anything you think will help, such as rakes, shovels, gardening tools, brooms, garden gloves, etc.
• Top 4-H'er applications are due by July 31, 2015. Top 4-H'er will have only two levels this year, Senior and Intermediate.
• Armada Fair entries accepted June 1-June 30. An important reminder to all leaders is that THEY, the leaders, need to take the entire club's forms to the fair office or mail them to the fair office. No children should be dropping off forms. The Fair Office WILL NOT BE ACCEPTING ANY MAILED ENTRIES FROM INDIVIDUAL CHILDREN. 
• 4-H books were done in April; leaders can come get their packets.
• Parent armbands at $25 are still available.
• Tagging dates are:
• Swine, Goat, Lamb and Prospect Beef tagging are June 7th from 10 a.m. to Noon
• Rabbit and Poultry tagging is July 19th from 10 a.m. to Noon.
• Teen Clerk Sign-Up: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0d4caea82ea3f85-teen2
• Youth Organization Exhibit Barn Sign-Up:  www.SignUpGenius.com/go/10C0D4CAEA82EA3F85-youth/7764562

Exploration Days Reminders

Orientation: Mark your calendars! The mandatory 4-H Exploration Days Orientation is at 6:30 p.m. on June 1, 2015 at Macomb County MSU Extension, 21885 Dunham Road, Clinton Township, MI 48036. Roommates will be identified by ages and interests. Accommodations will be made for various medical conditions. At orientation, participants will learn about the event, meet their roommates and more! Orientation details and balance information will be sent out in mid-May. Balance payments should be made on or before June 1st.

Scholarships: Scholarships will be determined by May 20th. Balance information sent out will show scholarship awards.  

K-9 & Kompany 4-H Dog Fun Match - June 13

The annual K-9 & Kompany 4-H Fun Match is June 13, 2015 at Wolcott Mill Farm Learning Center, 65775 Wolcott Road, Ray Township. This is an excellent opportunity for 4-H'ers to show their dogs -- and practice for the State 4-H Dog Show! Showmanship, obedience, agility and rally classes are offered. Register by May 31st and pay $6 for the first entry plus $2 for each additional class with the same dog. After May 31st, pay $7 for the first entry plus $3 for each additional class with the same dog. For more information, contact Jim Jerse at 586-549-0310 or jjerse@ymail.com, or Diane Nelson at 248-802-4738 or dlnelson916@gmail.com.

Resumes Made Easy!

High school students, college students and other job seekers are welcome to attend Resumes Made Easy! at the Center Line Library, 7345 Weingartz, Center Line, on Wednesday, May 20, 2015, from 5-6:30 p.m. Learn how to build a resume from your classes, activities and skills even if you have limited paid work experience. Get a step-by-step guide for creating an effective resume that will highlight skills employers are looking for and will get you noticed. Bring your current resume and get ready for a makeover and discover which resume format is your best fit. This workshop is FREE. Call the Center Line Library at 586-758-8274 or register online at centerline.gov/library under "Programs." For more information, contact Kathy Jamieson at 586-469-6093 or jamies13@anr.msu.edu. 

Youth participating in the Boots & Spurs Community Service Fundraiser collected and donated items to the children at St Jude's Hospital. Job well done! 

Photo and information courtesy of Boots N Spurs Facebook page

Midnite Riders 4-H Club makes a difference at Wolcott Farm

Midnite Riders 4-H Club leader Faye Cerku and many 4-H youth and adult volunteers helped restore the greenhouses at Wolcott Farm in Ray Township in 2013 and continue to donate their time at the park to "Beyond the Seed," an entrepreneurial farming project for youth. Read the recent article about their efforts or stop by the farm to see the difference they're making first-hand! 

Community Service Opportunity

The Salvation Army is in dire need of towels and washcloths--new or used--for their residents and public clients. Any donations would be greatly appreciated!  Donations are accepted from 8 a.m.-10 p.m. daily at the facility in Warren, 24140 Mound Road (between Nine and 10 Mile roads, on the EAST side of the street). 

Free Fishing Weekends

Michigan offers some of the finest freshwater fishing in the world, with more than 3,000 miles of Great Lakes shoreline, more than 11,000 inland lakes, and tens of thousands of miles of rivers and streams. 

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Division looks to connect as many individuals as possible with our state's plentiful recreation opportunities, and strives to create special opportunities to do so - including our annual Free Fishing Weekends. Conducted each winter and summer, these events allow anyone to enjoy Michigan's premier fishing for FREE! 

For these two weekends, all fishing license fees are waived for two days! Residents and out-of-state visitors are allowed to enjoy fishing on both inland and Great Lakes' waters for all species of fish during their respective open seasons, without having to purchase a fishing license. Please note all other regulations will still apply during this time.

The 2015 Summer Free Fishing Weekend will be held Saturday, June 13 and Sunday, June 14.

To encourage involvement in Free Fishing Weekends, organized activities are offered in communities across the state. These activities are coordinated by individuals, constituent groups, schools, parks (local/state), businesses and others.

Join in the fun and plan a 2015 Summer Free Fishing Weekend event! It's easy to do. A list of resources is available to help you plan and execute such an event in your community. Simply visit michigan.gov/freefishing and look through the Free Fishing Weekend Event Planning e-Toolkit. Once your event is coordinated, register it as an official 2015 Summer Free Fishing Weekend activity online at www.surveymonkey.com/s/2015SummerFFW-registration. Upon doing so, you will be contacted about potentially receiving valuable resources from Fisheries Division to use during your event.

Please join in this year's efforts to help get more individuals of all ages fishing. We welcome you to become a part of the annual Free Fishing Weekends, to make memories, and to have some fishing fun!

For additional Free Fishing Weekend information, please contact Elyse Walter at waltere@michigan.gov or 517-284-5839.
 

19th Annual Detroit Area Kids Fishing Derby  The 19th Annual Detroit Area Kids Fishing Derby is May 16, 2015 at Palmer Park's Lake Frances (South side of park between Woodward Avenue and Third Street, Detroit). Youth ages 7-14 are invited and volunteers are needed. Choose from the morning session, 10-11:30 a.m., and the afternoon session, 1-2:30 p.m. This contest is free and open to the public. All equipment must be furnished by the participant. Participants must be accompanied by an adult.

Free Sportsmanship Webinar Offered

Join the MSU Extension 4-H Sportsmanship Team at 7 p.m. on June 15th for an exciting webinar that will prepare volunteers to teach appropriate sportsmanship behaviors. 4-H animal science projects are a great way to develop life skills and sportsmanship in youth and by emphasizing sportsmanship, we are putting the HEART into our programs! "Keep Your Head When You Win and Your Heart When You Lose" webinar will be hosted online so you can participate from any computer or tablet with internet access. Register at http://events.anr.msu.edu/event.cfm?folder=sportsmanship for this FREE learning opportunity by June 14.

Invitational Shooting Sports Tournament in Hillsdale County

The Bullseye Bandits of Hillsdale County 4-H is hosting an Invitational Shooting Sports Tournament on Saturday, June 20th in Osseo, Michigan. All disciplines are offered. Pre-registration is due by May 25th. See flyer for more information. 

Oakland County 4-H Horse Camp

Do you want to improve your horsemanship skills, be better prepared for horse shows, meet other horse kids, AND have fun? If your answer is yes, you should attend Oakland County 4-H Horse Camp! This four-day instructional camp is offered to 4-H youth ages 9-19. Camp is June 21-25 at Oakland County Fairgrounds. See the Horse Camp packet and brochure for more details. Applications are due by May 15th.

2015 Summer Discovery Cruises registration is now open!

Do you want to learn about the Great Lakes by being on the Great Lakes? Michigan Sea Grant Extension's Summer Discovery Cruises depart from Lake Erie Metropark, with cruises on the lower Detroit River and Lake Erie, and Lake St. Clair Metropark, cruising Lake St. Clair. The 2015 season offers more than 20 educational cruises around themes such as Fisheries, Wildlife, Wetlands, Shipwrecks, Lighthouses, Weather, Shipping and more. Cruises for educators wanting to enhance the use of Great Lakes content in their teaching are also provided, with stipends. Some of the exciting cruises for the 2015 season include:

Lake St. Clair Fisheries - This is not a fishing cruise, but it definitely is a "fishy" cruise! Learn first-hand about the fish that are found in Lake St. Clair, many of which are available for hands-on examination during the cruise. We will be joined by a Michigan DNR Fisheries Biologist and rendezvous with their research vessel while out on the lake to observe fish tagging, measuring and other research operations.

Warfare on the Waterfront - The War of 1812, World War II, and even the American Civil War have all shaped the Detroit River and western Lake Erie.  Long after the end of hostilities, remnants of this military presence can still be found.  Join an Interpreter for an in-depth look at these conflicts, their sites and stories, and see how they impacted the region and the world.

Shipwreck at Sugar - Just under the waves off a crumbling Sugar Island dock lie the remains of a vessel sank in 1945. Travel with our resident historian to the wreck site to learn about the S.S. Seabreeze, the story of how it got there and the circumstances surrounding its mysterious sinking.

Birds, Boats & Booze (4 hour history cruise) - Many things brought people to the St. Clair River Delta Flats area. The abundant wetlands brought duck hunters and fishing. Wood boats and passenger steamers brought tourism and recreation, and Prohibition brought rumrunners and speakeasies to the region. Spend a little more time in "the flats" with us as we cruise farther up the South Channel and share a little of the past including stories of the big hotels, Tashmoo Park, Chris Craft boat building and more.

Great Lakes Science for Kids - Learn about the ecology of Lake St. Clair or Lake Erie, by using the tools a Great Lakes Scientist uses to determine water quality by studying the plants and animals of the lakes. Try your hand at using a plankton net, bottom dredge, water testing kit, underwater camera, and binoculars to discover the exciting nature of the lake and become a Great Lakes Scientist!

To learn about the Great Lakes by being on the Great Lakes, visit the Summer Discovery Cruises web site at www.discoverycruises.org for complete cruise descriptions, locations, dates and times, as well as directions on how to register for your 2015 Summer Discovery Cruises. Don't miss the boat!

Hens and roosters available

Free to 4-H: Three bantam hens, approximately one year old, and two bantam roosters, approximately six months and year. Contact John at 586-438-0076 for more information.